Box-blank folding and fastening machine



Oct. 16, 1928.

A. T. CAMPBELL BOX BLANK FOLDING AND FASTENING MACHINE Filed 591111.30. 1926 5 Sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 16,1928. 1,688,115

A. T. CAMPBELL Box BLANK FOLDING AND FASTENING MACHINE Filed Sept. 30, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 16, 1928. 1,688,115

A. T. CAMPBELL BOX BLANK FOLDING AND FASTENING MACHINE Filed Sept. 30, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 J/WJQMEJZ aur obal Oct. 16, 1928. 7 1,688,115

A. T. CAMPBELL BOX BLANK FOLDING AND FASTENING MACHINE Filed Sept. 50, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 A. T. CAMPBELL BOX BLANK FOLDINGAND FASTENING MACHINE Oct. 16, 1928.

Filed Sept. so, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ASA v Patented Uct. 16, 1928.

ore-ran stares r-A'reN-r orrilea.

ARTHUR TALBOT CAMPBELL, or SEATTLE, WASHENGTON, AEGIS-150R {re BAND-BOUND BOX COMPANY, or snA'rrLn, wesiriire'son, a con-ronarroir BOX-BLANK LEYOLDINIG AND MACHINE.

Application filed September 30, 1926, Serial No. 138,614

This inventionrelates to machines for inserting fastening devices, and more particularly to machines for inse "tingnails in boxes, thereby to hold the box parts in. assembled relation.

Generally stated, the object. of the inven? tion is to provide a novel andiinproved construction of machine for inserting,fastening devices rapidly and satisfactorily in the tie sired manner, under the-full. control of the operator or attendant.

More specifically stated, the object of the invention is to provide, a machine 'liaving nieansdior accomplishing more or lessoi the folding and assembling operation, necessary as api'eliininary'to the insertion of fastening devices to hold the box parts in assembled relation; v i It is also an object to provide certain details and: features of construction, and coinbinations tending to increase the general efficien'cy' and the desirability of atastener-insorting. machine ot'this particular character.

'To'these and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accornpanying drawings, in which, I

Fig. 1 is front elevation of a fastener insorting inachine. involving the principles of the invention, showingpertain portions in vertical section, and showing some portions broken away, for convenienceof illustration. 7 Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionon line. 22 in Fig.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, horizontal section on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. t is a plan view of certain parts shown in Fig. 3, showing said parts in a dilferent position. a a

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 55 in Fig. 1.

.Fig. 6 is a perspective of a portion of a box, in partially assembled condition, showing the parts ready to be operated on by the folding and assembling instruinentalities 0t tlieinachine.

' Fig. 7' is a similar view, showing said parts brought together, and showing the nails 1nserted to hold the parts 111 assembled. rela- J. i V i tion. a V

Fig. 8 is a. detail section on line .8-8. in

Fig. 7, showing certain portions broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 9is a perspective of the finished box I its thusillustrated,the invention comprises a machine body 1 having a table 2 at the front thereof, at the proper heightfor the convenient' placing of the box parts thereon bv the operator or attendant. The box to be made comprises the side sections 3 and 4., and the bottom section 5, together with end walls 6 and cleats 7, 8, 9 and 10, these cleats" cleats 7 and 9 have tongues 14 in their up per and lower ends to. receive said tongues.

Thererore, when the box parts are assembled, as in Fig, 6, on thetable 2, it will be seen that the cleats 7 and 9 will occupy positions at the left and right of the raised portion 15 of said table, while the cleat 8 will be in position at the outer edge ofthis raised portion, as shown at dotted lines in Fig. 3- of the drawings, The head or end wall 6 will rest on the raised portion loot the table, and the cleat 10 will be in position as shown on said table, so that the positions of the parts are asshown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It remains now to fold the sides 3 and 1 toward each other,and remove the cleat 10 into engagement with the end wall 6, and into ongagement with the ends of the cleats 7 and 9, so thattheparts willthen occupy theposition shown in Fig. 7 cram drawings.

For thispurpose, therefore, two horizontal and parallel and longitudinally arranged shafts 16 are provided on the machine, mounted in suitable bearings thereon, and provided with cams 17 to engage the side sections 3 and l,to press the latter toward each other. Said shafts are also provided with earn-like portions 18 to engage the bottoni section 5 of the box, to hold the box against outward displacement, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Presser arms 19 are'pivoted at 20 on the machine, to swing about vertically disposed; axes, these arms being held in normal IUD driving of the nails 24 by which widths or sizes may be made.

1 ing mechanism 89 desired character. that the operation of said nailing mechanism position by 27 and 28 on the sprocket wheels municate d through said sprocket the springs 21, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. These arms have rollers 22 at their other ends, and the shafts 16 have cams 28 formed to engage said rollers,-whereby at the proper time, by properly timing the action of the different parts, the arms 19 press the cleat into position, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, preliminary to the the box parts are held in assembled relation. 7 One shaft 16 and its allotted arm 19 areslidable laterally by means of a hand adjusting screw 25, in any suitable or desired manner, and one of the two bars 26 forming'part of said table,

I and forming the supports for the cleats 7 and 9, is adjustable in unison with said shaft and presser arm, whereby boxes of different The shaftlG may be rotated by any suitable or desired mechanism, and may be controlled in any suitable or desired manner. However, a simple and effective arrangement for this purpose comprises the sprocket chains 29 amlSO at the rear ends of saidshafts. These sprocket chains are operated by the sprockets 31 an d 32 on the shafts 33 and 34 below, the power comchains being controlled'by a suitable clutch, through themedium of the-foot treadle 36, of any suitable character, the two shafts 33 and 34 being operated by power communicated thereto from the power shaft, 37, through the gearino 38, as shown. Q

For the driving of the nails 24, any suitable nailing mechanism can be employed, the nailbeing of any" suitable or However, it is desirable shall be automatic, and for thispurp'ose a trip bar 40 is disposed transversely ofthe machine, as shown in Fig. 3 of the'drawings, in position to be operatednp and down by the cams 41 on the shafts 16 previously mentioned. This trip bar carries a vertically disposed rod 42 that controls the clutch cevice onthe shaft 33 nected to the reciprocating element'44 of below, which shaft is con the nailing mechanism bythe pitman 45 that extends downwardly to the crank 46 on the shaft 38 previously mentioned; Thus, at the proper time, the trip bar 41 is actuated upward, by the cams 41', to trip the clutch 48, and

I to thereby cause the operation of the nailing mechanism to insert the nails. The cams 41 are rigid with the cams 23 previously mentioned, and are slidable on the shaft 16, being held in normal position by the springs 47, shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings' Therefore, if the cleat 10 catches on something,fand does not slide into position, the arms 19 not operated, inasmuch as the springs 47 will yield and permit the cams 23 and ,41'to slide backward on the shaft 16, this displacement of the cams being caused by the cam engagement between the cams 23 and the rollers 22, thereby backing the cams 41 outward from under the bar 40, and preventing the latter being operated to start the nailing mechanism. Consequently, in any such case, the cleat 10 is not pushed into proper pos1- tion, the nailing mechanism-is automatically prevented from operating, and .ne nails are driven, and the operator or attendant can then rearrange the parts and start the, ma-

chine again. e

As stated, thenailing mechanism may be of any suitable or desired character, and such mechanism may be adapted to drive fastening devices of any suitable or desired character, but, as shown, the mechanism is of that common and well known kind inuwhich the nails are carried on a shaker box 48, which is moved up and down in the customary manner by a pitman 49 connected to the crank 50, which is operated 'from the power connections below through the sprocket chains 51 and52,

when

in a manner that will be readily understood.

The nails are automatlcally fed. downward through tubes" 53 to the mechanism 39, and

are inserted by the drivers 54 carried by the reciprocating head 44 in the customary manner, I I

It will be seen, therfore, that a machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the drawings being illustrative of one form of the invenion, is capable of not onlyinserting fastening devices, to hold the parts in: as-

sembled relation, but is also? capable of performing more or less of the folding and assembling operation, necessary to bringthe parts into proper relation .to each other, preliminary to the insertion of fastening devices. In the form of the invention shown and described, the operator or attendantwill bend or fold the three-section blank intoabout the conditionshown in Fig. 6 of thedrawings, andwill place the header end wall 6 and the cleat 10 in position, as shown, butit will be understood that the ma chine may perform any amount of folding and assembling, ormay do more or less of the folding and assembling, without departing from the spirit of the invention,v the inventionproviding forthe first time means for engaging and relatively folding the sections of a metal-bound box-blank, and means for bringing the box'parts into proper assembled relation to receive fastening devices to hold the parts in the relationrequired "for the finto vary the position of the "cams 1S thereon,

so that'these cams are in effect adjustable longitudinally of the two shafts for boxes of (life ferent depths For boxes of different depths,

the table formed by the members 26 is adapted the nails or'other to slide in: and; out, or to slide end\vise,.so that the position of the outer end of this tablemay be varied in accordancewvith theposition of the CfllHS'lS'fOl boxes of different depths. *What Iclaim as my invention is: 1'. In machinery for folding and assembling box parts together,preliminary to the insertion offastening devices to holdtheparts in box form, the combination of means for supporting the parts imposition to be completely folded andassembled by the machinery, rotary means for engaging the sides of the box to-fo] d tl1e111'to\vardeacl1 other; havingparallel axes of rotation, With rotation about each axis in one direction only,'but*With the direction of rotation about one aXis' opposite to that of the other, and instrumentalities for causing the operation of said means.

i 2. A structure-as speciiiedin claim 1, in combination with mechanism to insert fastening devices inwardlythrough interlocking parts of the boXto hold the. side walls in proper relation to each otherfor the'finished box. r 1

3. A structure as specified in claim *1,in combination With a device to push the upper cleatof the box intoengagement wi h the cleats of the sides ofthe'box, and means to automatically control said. device.

4. A structure'as'specified in-claim 1, in combination with a device to push the upper cleat of the box into engagement With the cleats of the side Walls, and mechanism automatically controlled to insert nails through the interlocking ends of thetop cleat and the side cleats, after said folding and assembling operation has brought the parts into final relation to each other.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising mechanism to insert nails inwardly through certain 1nterlock1ngparts of the folded and assembled box, and means to antomatically control said nailing mechanism.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, said folding means comprising horizontally disposed shafts provided with cams for engaging the side Walls of the box, said cams shaped to press the side Walls toward each other.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, said folding means comprising horizontally disposed shafts provided With cams for engaging the side Walls of the box, said cams shaped to press the side Walls toward each other, presser arms to move the top cleat into engagement With the cleats of the side Walls of the box, cams on said shafts to operate said presser arms,a nailing mechanism to insert nails through the interlocking ends of the top cleatsand the side cleats, instrumentalities including a trip bar to automatically control said nailing mechanism, and cams on said shafts to operate said trip bar, said presser-arm cams and trip-bar cams being slidable on said shafts, and being sprin held. in operative position, whereby these slidable cams are movpermitdnsertion thereofiinithemachine, and

instrumentalities for causing-the opera tion of said means, together with supporting: means to support the partially folded boxblank in position for said automatic foldingopera 9. A structure as specified inchiiim "8, in combination with mechanism toinse-rt ifas -tening devices through certain'parts ofithe fully folded blank to holdiit in fOldGdflOlP dition,

10; A structure asspecified '1l1 claim 8, in combination with 1nstrumentalities "for :sup-

porting otherparts of-theboX, andidevices I for moving these other'parts into proper relation to said folded lii x+blartk sections, to-

gether with means for inserting fastening devices to hold said blanks and other box parts in assembled relation;

11,111 machinery for folding and assembling box parts together, preliminary to the insertion of fastening devices to hold the parts in box form, the combination of means for supporting the parts in position to be folded and assembled, means for engaging the sides of the box to fold them toward each other, and instmnnentaiities for causing the operation of said means, in combination with device to push the upper cleat of the box into engagement with the cleats of the sides of the box, and means to automatically control said device. 12. In machinery for folding and assembling box parts together, preliminary to the insertion of fastening devices to hold theparts in box form, the combination of means for supporting the parts in position to be folded and assembled, means for engaging the sides of the box to fold them toward each other, and instrumentalities for causing the operation of said means, in combination with a device to to push the upper cleat of the box into engagement with the cleats of the side Walls, and mechanism automatically controlled to insert nails through the interlocking ends of the top cleat and the side cleats, after said folding and assembling operation has brought the parts into final relation to each other.

13. In machinery for folding and assembling box parts together, preliminary to the insertion of fastening devices to hold the parts'in box form, the combination of means lot) for supporting the parts in position to'be folded and assembled, means for engaging the sides of the box to fold them toward each other, and"instrnmentalities for causing the operation of said means, said folding means comprising horizontally disposed shafts provided with cams for engaging the side walls of the boii, said cams shaped to press the side walls toward each other. 1 14. In machinery for folding and assembling box parts together, preliminary tothe insertionof fastening devices to hold the parts in box form, the combination of meansfor supporting'the parts in position to be folded and assembled, means for engaging the sides of the boX to told them toward each other, and

instrumentalities for causin the o aeration of said means, said folding means comprising horizontally disposed shafts provided with cams for engaging theside walls of the box, said cams shaped to press the side walls toward each other, presser arms to move the top cleat into engagement with the cleats of the side walls of the box, cams on said shafts to operate said presser arms, a nailing mechanism to insert nails through the interlocking ends of the top cleats and the side cleats, instrumentalities including a trip bar to automatically control said nailing mechanism, and cams on said shaft-s to operate said trip bar,

said presser arm cams and trip-barcams being slidable, on said shafts, and being spring 1 held in operative position, whereby these slidable cams are'movable on said shafts ii": the movement of the presser arms is obstructed, whereby to move the trip-bar cams out of operative relation to the trip bar, whereby to automatically prevent operation oithe nailing mechanism in case thetop cleat catches on something and is not pushed intoposition to receive the nails. 7 2

' 15. In machinery "for-folding a flexible box blank, the combination of means in position to engage the sections of the blank, operative to automaticallyiold the side walls o'f the blank toward each other, relatively to the bottom section of the blank, and instrumentalities for causing the operation of said means, together with supporting means to support the partially folded boiiblanl: in position for said automatiofolding operation, and for supporting other parts of the box, and devices for automatically moving these other parts horizontally into proper relation to said box-blank sections, together with means for inserting fastening devices to hold said blank and other box parts in assembled relation.

Specificationsigned this Sthday of Sept,

ARTHUR TALBOT CAMPBELL. 

